Exercise A Key To Mental Health

Volunteer speaker and ambassador for beyondblue, Matt Hall, will compete this Saturday at the Australian Corporate Triathlon in the Gold Coast in support of beyondblue to raise awareness of the importance of physical activity in the workplace upon mental health.

Hall, who has had personal struggles with mental health including an attempt to take his own life, encourages people to reach out to beyondblue for the help they need.

“It’s possible to be in a very dark place, when you believe your only option is to take your own life and then get through that with the right support.”

“8 people everyday take their own lives in Australia.”

“We need to help break down the stigma for men especially” he said.

“Often people aren’t aware of the symptoms of depression and anxiety so it’s about making them aware of what it looks like in themselves and the people they care about.”

“It makes it easier to start a conversation and then makes them aware of the resources and tools available” he said.

Hall has said that exercise is important not only because of the scientifically proven physical benefits but also because of the social aspect of being out in society.

“Often you isolate yourself when you feel depressed, even when you live in a big city. In my darkest hour I lived in Melbourne, but was isolated because I wasn’t talking to people” he said.

It’s Hall’s first triathlon but he has used physical exercise as an outlet in his bid to stay mentally healthy.

“The actual science of the brain during exercise is relevant but also the social inclusion of exercise, you’re out in society participating, it gets people to do something fun and something to look forward to and train for.”

For help, contact the beyondblue Support Service on 1300 22 4636 or head to www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support

for online chat or email responses; for information on getting involved in the event, head to

http://www.corporatetriathlonseries.com.au/.

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